MONTRÉAL, Sept. 30, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - With Mayor of Montréal and Chair of the Communauté métropolitaine de MontréalDenis Coderre in attendance, Montréal International and its founding partners of Contact MTL are today officially launching Contact MTL, a network of volunteers committed to promoting Québec's metropolis to the world.

This event, which celebrates Greater Montréal's pride, creativity and know-how, will involve close to one thousand people—including many high-profile members of the business, academic, scientific, municipal, international and diplomatic communities as well as the metropolis' cultural and sporting scenes.

"A metropolis is first and foremost a collective project," said Mayor of Montréal and Chair of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, Denis Coderre. "Contact MTL is a unique opportunity to show the world that Greater Montréal has international-calibre assets. I invite our proud and passionate citizens to become actively involved by becoming ambassadors to promote our metropolis to the world."

Shared objectives and complementary networks Many of Greater Montréal's top businesses and institutions with complementary missions, expertise and networks, are actively taking part in this collective push to promote the region.

"The Contact MTL initiative stems from a shared desire to enhance Greater Montréal's international profile and strengthen its position as a leading economic, technological, cultural and higher education metropolis," explained Louis Arseneault, Vice President – Talent Attraction, Promotion and Communications, Montréal International. "With increasing competition among the world's major cities, a metropolis' ability to attract foreign investment, international organizations, skilled workers, students and international conventions is largely determined by its image," he added.

"Montréal is lucky to be one of the biggest university cities in the world. At McGill, being open to the world is part of the university's DNA; we enthusiastically welcome initiatives such as Contact MTL that will promote the advantages of our metropolis, not to mention the advantages of studying and conducting research here," said Suzanne Fortier, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University.

"In order to enhance Greater Montréal's international profile we need to rely on cooperation and concerted efforts from every sector. This is precisely what Contact MTL is all about, and UQAM is proud to be a partner. As part of this initiative, the University is making use of its wide-ranging network and expertise to strengthen the metropolis' positioning as a scientific, cultural, social and economic hub," explained Robert Proulx, Rector of Université du Québec à Montréal.

"Our universities are a powerful asset to Greater Montréal's profile and attractiveness, which is why we are pleased to work with Contact MTL," explained Université de Montréal Rector, Dr. Guy Breton.

"Every year, Greater Montréal universities graduate thousands of students. What unites them is their pride and passion for Montreal. Contact MTL is the perfect vehicle to harness that spirit as we continue to build this great city's reputation", added Alan Shepard, President and Vice-chancellor of Concordia University.

"No one is better placed than business people to showcase the energy and economic vitality of Greater Montréal abroad. We should be proud of the success of our businesses and promote them to increase the region's visibility around the world. This is why the Board of Trade has been a partner in the Contact MTL project since its creation. We encourage members of the business community to get involved, share Greater Montréal's success within their networks and be the region's ambassadors around the world", said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal.

"As a founding partner of Contact MTL, Tourisme Montréal is pleased to count on the support of opinion leaders and passionate supporters of Greater Montréal from all over the world in its mission to position and promote our metropolis on the international stage. Without a doubt, Contact MTL will boost our promotional efforts and help present our city's assets to business visitors and tourists," said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

Contact MTL already has over 1,200 ambassadors and more than 4,000 Twitter followers.

To register: contactmtl.com Anyone interested in promoting Greater Montréal by becoming an ambassador is welcome to fill out the quick and free registration form at www.contactmtl.com. A range of tools are available, including a set of key messages about Greater Montréal's specific strengths, communication channels via Twitter and other social media, as well as a host of information on the brand new Contact MTL dedicated web platform.

About Montréal International (www.montrealinternational.com) Montréal International (MI) acts as an economic driver for Greater Montréal to attract foreign wealth while accelerating the success of its partners and clients. Its role is to attract foreign investment, international organizations and skilled workers to Greater Montréal, and promote the region's competitive environment. MI also works to find the best ways to position the region as an attractive investment destination, and make recommendations to various levels of government to support Québec's job-creating, high-value-added industries.

Created in 1996, Montréal International is a non-profit organization funded by the private sector, the governments of Canada and Québec, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montréal Metropolitan Community) and the City of Montréal.

SOURCE Montréal International

For further information: Céline Clément, Public Relations Director, Montréal International, celine.clement@mtlintl.com, 514-987-9317; Catherine Maurice, Press Attaché, Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee, City of Montréal, 514 346-7598